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Chief creative officer salary
Average chief creative officer salary
$208,248
Understanding Chief Creative Officer Salaries
The role of a Chief Creative Officer encompasses overseeing creative strategies, brand development, and innovation within a company. As of October 2025, the average salary for a CCO is approximately $208,248 annually, translating to around $100 per hour. Factors influencing these figures include years of experience, industry, and geographical location.
Salary Insights by State
In high-paying states, such as California and New York, salaries can significantly surpass the national average. For instance, in California, a CCO can earn upwards of $250,000, reflecting the state's robust market for creative talent.
Key Industries
CCOs are in demand across various sectors, including advertising, technology, and entertainment. The highest-paying industries for this role often include tech startups and large advertising agencies, where creativity directly impacts brand success and revenue growth.
For those pursuing a career as a Chief Creative Officer, understanding these salary dynamics can aid in negotiating offers and planning career trajectories. It’s essential to research specific industries and locations to maximize earning potential.
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Where can a Chief Creative Officer earn more?
Chief creative officer salary estimates from across the web
Average chief creative officer salary by state
The average chief creative officer salary in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average chief creative officer salary states are Idaho, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chief creative officers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $164,119 | $78.90 |
| 2 | New York | $175,576 | $84.41 |
| 3 | Florida | $159,190 | $76.53 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $171,211 | $82.31 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $157,256 | $75.60 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $166,335 | $79.97 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $168,527 | $81.02 |
| 8 | Maryland | $166,897 | $80.24 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $154,524 | $74.29 |
| 10 | Washington | $162,335 | $78.05 |
| 11 | Virginia | $153,982 | $74.03 |
| 12 | Arizona | $148,370 | $71.33 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $141,159 | $67.86 |
| 14 | Ohio | $152,907 | $73.51 |
| 15 | Vermont | $144,058 | $69.26 |
| 16 | Illinois | $152,844 | $73.48 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $140,436 | $67.52 |
| 18 | Michigan | $143,917 | $69.19 |
| 19 | Delaware | $155,927 | $74.96 |
| 20 | Texas | $144,739 | $69.59 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $147,515 | $70.92 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $141,607 | $68.08 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $161,677 | $77.73 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $134,553 | $64.69 |
| 25 | Alabama | $128,038 | $61.56 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $132,231 | $63.57 |
| 27 | Oregon | $140,698 | $67.64 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $135,596 | $65.19 |
| 29 | California | $151,343 | $72.76 |
| 30 | Colorado | $132,105 | $63.51 |
| 31 | Missouri | $134,193 | $64.52 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $130,952 | $62.96 |
| 33 | Georgia | $129,787 | $62.40 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $124,772 | $59.99 |
| 35 | Alaska | $139,495 | $67.06 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $145,726 | $70.06 |
| 37 | Maine | $122,840 | $59.06 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $123,824 | $59.53 |
| 39 | Iowa | $117,836 | $56.65 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $122,729 | $59.00 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $114,064 | $54.84 |
| 42 | Kansas | $121,978 | $58.64 |
| 43 | Montana | $125,739 | $60.45 |
| 44 | Indiana | $117,891 | $56.68 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $94,086 | $45.23 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $110,285 | $53.02 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $110,992 | $53.36 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $116,054 | $55.80 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $113,304 | $54.47 |
| 50 | Utah | $115,919 | $55.73 |
| 51 | Idaho | $115,430 | $55.50 |
Highest paying cities for chief creative officers
The highest-paying cities for chief creative officers are New York, NY, Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $234,772 | $112.87 |
| 2 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $221,741 | $106.61 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $211,194 | $101.54 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $204,247 | $98.20 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $197,194 | $94.80 |
| 6 | Port Hueneme, CA | $180,417 | $86.74 |
| 7 | Santa Cruz, CA | $180,238 | $86.65 |
| 8 | Scotts Valley, CA | $180,169 | $86.62 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | $180,139 | $86.61 |
| 10 | El Segundo, CA | $180,097 | $86.59 |
| 11 | Torrance, CA | $180,031 | $86.55 |
| 12 | Westminster, CA | $179,881 | $86.48 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $179,867 | $86.47 |
| 14 | San Francisco, CA | $179,798 | $86.44 |
| 15 | Emeryville, CA | $179,659 | $86.37 |
| 16 | Berkeley, CA | $179,609 | $86.35 |
| 17 | Cleburne, TX | $179,059 | $86.09 |
| 18 | Portland, OR | $160,945 | $77.38 |
| 19 | Pittsburgh, PA | $157,740 | $75.84 |
| 20 | Canonsburg, PA | $156,717 | $75.34 |
Chief creative officer salary details
A chief creative officer's salary ranges from $97,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $446,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chief creative officer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $446,000 | $37,167 | $214 |
| 75th Percentile | $311,000 | $25,917 | $150 |
| Average | $208,248 | $17,354 | $100 |
| 25th Percentile | $139,000 | $11,583 | $67 |
| 10th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
Highest paying chief creative officer jobs
The highest paying types of chief creative officers are president/chief executive officer, president & chief operating officer, and senior vice president.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co-Founder | $105,022 | $8,752 | $50.49 | 4,214 |
| President | $192,329 | $16,027 | $92.47 | 49,413 |
| Owner | $90,334 | $7,528 | $43.43 | 86,486 |
| Vice President | $158,637 | $13,220 | $76.27 | 119,530 |
| Co-Owner | $86,704 | $7,225 | $41.68 | 52,915 |
| Design Manager | $102,637 | $8,553 | $49.34 | 61,273 |
Top companies hiring chief creative officers now:
Which companies pay chief creative officers the most?
Chief creative officer salaries at Archetype and Mobile.co are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chief creative officer salary at companies like Wunderman Thompson and 360fly are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Archetype | $294,269 | $141.48 |
| 2 | Mobile.co | $291,818 | $140.30 |
| 3 | Wunderman Thompson | $288,187 | $138.55 |
| 4 | 360fly | $285,911 | $137.46 |
| 5 | State Metal Industries | $282,833 | $135.98 |
| 6 | Pact Apparel | $281,012 | $135.10 |
| 7 | Texas Health Resources | $279,710 | $134.48 |
| 8 | SARRELL REGIONAL DENTAL CENTER FOR | $268,898 | $129.28 |
| 9 | Gray Television | $255,341 | $122.76 |
| 10 | Humana | $252,933 | $121.60 |
| 11 | Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide Inc | $233,872 | $112.44 |
| 12 | Grey Group | $232,442 | $111.75 |
| 13 | Deutsch LA | $231,866 | $111.47 |
| 14 | Collins & Company | $225,969 | $108.64 |
| 15 | Equitable Holdings | $201,986 | $97.11 |
| 16 | Oasis Systems | $201,645 | $96.94 |
| 17 | Duolingo | $173,654 | $83.49 |
| 18 | Community Health Plan of Washington | $172,202 | $82.79 |
| 19 | Kindred Healthcare | $130,110 | $62.55 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chief Creative Officer salary by industry
The average chief creative officer salary varies across industries:
- The average chief creative officer salary in the technology industry is $201,427, the highest of any industry.
- The average chief creative officer salary in the finance industry is $199,855.
- Chief creative officers in the finance industry earn an average salary of $189,948, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chief creative officers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $201,427 | $96.84 |
| 2 | Start-up | $199,855 | $96.08 |
| 3 | Retail | $196,968 | $94.70 |
| 4 | Internet | $196,914 | $94.67 |
| 5 | Professional | $196,617 | $94.53 |
| 6 | Media | $191,469 | $92.05 |
| 7 | Finance | $189,948 | $91.32 |
High paying chief creative officer jobs
Chief creative officer salary trends
The average chief creative officer salary has risen by $21,323 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chief creative officer earned $186,925 annually, but today, they earn $208,248 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for chief creative officers over the last decade.
Compare chief creative officer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chief creative officer salary over time
Compare chief creative officer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chief creative officer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $208,000 | $100.12 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | $207,000 | $99.32 | -2.8% |
| 2024 | $212,000 | $102.08 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $205,000 | $98.68 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $203,000 | $97.57 | +3.4% |
Recently added chief creative officer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA Health | Chief Patient Experience Officer | Los Angeles, CA | 06/26/2025 | $157,400 |
| Lerch Bates | Chief Innovation Officer | Englewood, CO | 06/05/2025 | $225,000 |
| Sierra HR Partners | Chief Impact Officer (CIO) | Fresno, CA | 05/25/2025 | $154,193 |
| Publicis Groupe | Chief Creative Officer | New York, NY | 05/21/2025 | $350,000 |
| Sabel Systems Technology Solutions | Chief Growth Officer | Beavercreek, OH | 04/21/2025 | $180,000 |
| Emily's List | Chief Digital Officer | Washington, DC | 03/28/2025 | $200,000 |
| Archgroup | Chief Underwriting Officer, Entertainment Insurance | Los Angeles, CA | 02/27/2025 | $233,600 |
| Jobot Inc. | Creative Officer | Portland, OR | 02/19/2025 | $275,000 |
| Illinois Government Finance Officers Association | Chief Audit Officer | Metra Commuter Rail System | Chicago, IL | 02/19/2025 | $226,576 |
| Pacificpridefoundation | Chief Advancement Officer Exempt) | Santa Barbara, CA | 02/18/2025 | $125,000 |
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